


Tales of Decaydance

by Loor



Category: Cobra Starship, Decaydance, Fall Out Boy, Panic! at the Disco, The Academy Is...
Genre: Band Break Up, F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Romance, Songfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-07
Updated: 2015-01-07
Packaged: 2018-03-06 13:19:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,818
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3135917
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Loor/pseuds/Loor
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This collection of stories features different musicians who were/are signed to Decaydance Records. Fluffy love stories, written for a friend's birthday.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The (After)Life Of The Party (the one with Gabe's birthday party)

**Author's Note:**

> Old, old, old. Transferred from Mibba.

Victoria smiled at the doorman at the entrance door of Angels and Kings. Without asking for an invitation, he opened the door.

“Have a nice evening, Miss Victoria!” he said as she passed him on her way inside.

“Thanks Tony!” she answered cheerfully.

Tony wasn’t listening anymore. “… private party.” Was the last thing Victoria heard him say before the door closed behind her.

Too loud music and the smell of alcohol mixed with cigarettes greeted her as she looked around the bar. Her gaze went over Ashlee and Cassidee on the dance floor and she noticed Brendon and Ryland wrapped up in a vivid conversation before she spotted the birthday boy standing at the bar. As always he was far too wrapped up in his conversation, with Travis this time, to notice her coming his way.

“Happy birthday, pretty boy!” Victoria said in his ear when she reached him.

Gabe jumped at the sound of her voice, but his face lightened up.

“Victoria, bonita! I’m so glad you could make it!” he shouted over the music as he pulled her into a hug.

“You know I can’t decline you anything!” Victoria smiled before she walked over to Travis to hug him as well.

When she turned to face Gabe again, he was already holding out a Mojito.

“Virgin, off course!” Gabe stated when he noticed the look on her face. “Just a couple more months until we can legally get you drunk!” He grinned while handing Victoria her drink.

“You can always give it a try!” Victoria laughed before taking a sip of her drink. She put her drink on the bar and handed Gabe the package she had been holding.

Gabe smiled, kissed her cheek and said a quick thank you before ripping open the paper.

“I didn’t know what to get you, but I hope you like it!” Victoria said. The nervous edge in her voice was evident.

Gabe looked at the dark red velvet scrapbook he had just unwrapped. ‘Tales of Decaydance’ it said in golden letters on the cover. Gabe opened it without a word and revealed a picture of Victoria and him smiling to the camera. ‘August 2006, Victoria meeting her favorite rockstar for the first time’ the caption stated. The rest of the book was filled with pictures of Gabe and his friends, takes somewhere in the three years he knew Victoria.

When Gabe looked up again, his smile reached all the way up to his ears and his eyes sparkled. Without saying anything, he pulled Victoria close again. “It’s perfect! Thank you bonita!” he whispered in her ear before letting go.

“Now let me go find a safe place to put this!” Gabe said. He took a sip of his beer before walking away, the scrapbook close against his chest.

Victoria watched him walk away before she took another sip of her mojito and turned to Travis, who was now talking to Pete. She joined the conversation and soon Pete was telling her about his ideas for a new Clandestine hoodie.

When Travis was explaining a scene from the movie he watched the night before to Pete, Victoria looked around the bar again. She had spotted Brendon, Ashlee, Patrick, Alex, Spencer and Vicky when Gabe’s voice made her jump.

“William is sitting in the back right corner with Jon, Ryan and Lauren. Go get em tiger!” Gabe said in her ear with a laugh.

“Thanks! See you later guys!” Victoria said before quickly turning her face and walking away to prevent Gabe, Pete or Travis from noticing the blush that crept onto her cheeks.

They always teased Victoria with the fact that William and her were so close. “You act like a married couple, but without the bickering,” they had told them more than once. Victoria let them have their fun and had learned not to react to the teasing. Except for the blushing. She always blushed at their comments. She hated it. Hated how she wasn’t very good at hiding her feelings. She knew William had no problem with the teasing. Arm around her waist, pulling her close, kisses on the head. He easily played along with the game. That’s all it was to him, a silly little game. To Victoria, it was so much more. She felt safe with his arms around her waist. She longed for William to pull her close. She loved the kisses on the head. She secretly loved William. Hence the blushing.

As Victoria made her way to William she tried to get the blushing under control. By the time she reached the booth, her cheeks had their normal color back.

William had immediately gotten up when he noticed her. As soon as she was in his reach, he pulled Victoria in a tight embrace and kissed her on the forehead.

“Victoria darling, it’s good to finally see you! I thought you might not make it!” William greeted her.

“You seriously thought I would miss out on one of Gabe’s infamous parties? I thought you knew me better than that!” Victoria teased him.

She sat down in the booth, placed her drink on the table and greeted Jon, Ryan and Lauren. As they started talking, Victoria felt William’s arm still around her waist. She smiled to herself and leaned back a little, enjoying the safe feeling.

Not too long into the conversation, Jon felt the need to join his girlfriend on the dancefloor. While Victoria watched him leave, she felt William pull her close.

“So, where’s your loverboy tonight?” William asked her. His hostile tone made her face him in surprise.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” she asked, voice full of curiosity.

“What do you think it means? Don’t play dumb on me, Vic!” William said.

Victoria was surprised that there was no hint of joking in his voice. His eyes were more serious than she had seen in a long time.

“Honestly Bill, I have no idea what you are talking about.”

William looked at her for a moment to see if she was joking.

“The pictures on your blog. The party you forgot to tell me about. Ring a bell?” By now William almost spat out the words as he spoke to her.

“Ha!” Victoria couldn’t help herself and laughed out loud. “Is that what this is about? The pictures with Thomas I posted yesterday? Bill, those were friends from college. We were just having a good time at Elise’s birthday party. Nothing more, nothing less.”

“It seemed something more to me. Did you have sex?”

Victoria was shocked. For a moment she didn’t know what to say. She had to take a deep breath to stop herself from slapping William for even assuming something like that.

“I’m not even going to answer that. What’s it to you anyway? You have been hinting about some girl you like on your blog for months. If I didn’t know better, I would think you were jealous,” Victoria spoke after getting her temper back under control.

To her surprise, William had no clever response ready this time. Instead he stayed silent and avoided her gaze. Victoria thought she even saw him blushing a little, but that was probably just her imagination.

“I think I need a new drink,” Ryan announced suddenly while getting up.

“Good idea! I’m coming with you!” Lauren chimed in.

Victoria had totally forgotten about them sitting next to her until they spoke up. The both of them left before she could say anything. She watched them walk to the bar before turning to William again.

“Well? Are you going to answer my question or not?” Victoria insisted.

William still avoided her gaze, but he spoke this time. “Maybe I am.” He mumbled to his shoes. His words took Victoria by surprise. He didn’t answer either of her questions, but this sounded so much better.

“I’m sorry, I don’t think I got that.” Victoria said, silently hoping she wasn’t dreaming.

William didn’t speak, but finally looked up to her again. Victoria saw him take a deep breath before he scooted closer to her, closing the gap that they had unconsciously formed during their bickering. Before she could react to the sudden movement, William was leaning in and firmly planted his lips on hers. Victoria quickly got over the first shock and started kissing him back. Their lips moved in sync until they both had to pull out for oxygen.

William’s hand didn’t leave Victoria’s cheek while he tried to catch his breath. “Off course I was jealous.” He managed to get out. “The girl I was talking about on my blog, it was you! All the hints, all the lyrics, it has always been you, Vic.”

Victoria didn’t say anything. She just smiled and pulled William’s lips to hers again.

The kiss was getting a little more heated when they got interrupted by a teasing voice. “Finally. I thought you two stubborn idiots would never realize how the other felt,” Ryan grinned while sitting down in the booth again. Lauren laughed at his comment as she sat down next to him.

“Well look who’s talking! I guess it’s two idiots down, two more to go, right?” Victoria teased them back.

Both Ryan and Lauren were suddenly very interested in their drinks and blushed a deep pink.

William laughed at their reaction and Victoria took this moment to crawl into his lap and rest her head against his chest.

“Remind me to thank Gabe later, cause this is the best party I have been to in a long time!” William whispered in Victoria’s ear before softly kissing the top of her head.


	2. Drawing Conclusions, You're At It Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The one where Patrick writes some lyrics

Pete looked up from his laptop to see Patrick standing in the door of their dressing room. Patrick looked a little nervous and was staring in the make up mirror in the back of the room. He didn’t even notice Pete looking at him until Pete let out a little cough.

When their eyes met, the two friends stared at each other for a moment, words unnecessary. Pete knew Patrick wanted to tell him something. Patrick knew that Pete knew what he wanted. Yet all he managed to say was: “I need to talk to you.”

Pete still didn’t say anything as Patrick closed the door and took a seat next to him. Various scenarios were going through his mind.

_“Pete?”_   
_“Yeah?”_   
_“I hurt Bronx. He’s going to need stitches.”_   
_“You what?”_   
_“I’m sorry…”_

_“Pete?”_  
“Yeah?”  
 _“I love you.”_  
 _“What?”_  
 _“I’m gay Pete… I’m sorry…”_

“Pete?”

“Yeah?”

“I wrote some lyrics for a song.”

Various scenarios but oh so unexpected.

Pete blinked and stared at the paper Patrick was holding out to him. Shaking his head to get rid of the words that seemed to be stuck there, he grabbed the paper from Patrick’s hand.

As Pete’s eyes scanned the words on the paper, Patrick’s were staring at his shoes. A blush found its way to his cheeks when Pete started humming some unknown tune.

“So there’s a girl?”

“Isn’t there always?” Patrick mumbled without looking up, not the slightest bit surprised that his friend deciphered the meaning of his words so easily. Pete was an expert at hidden meanings and metaphors.

“So who is she? Do I know her? Does she know about this?” Pete rambled like an enthusiastic little school girl.

Patrick looked up with a smile. The conversation wasn’t going in the direction he expected, but he answered nonetheless. “Yes, you know her. Take a wild guess,” he teased. He knew all to well Pete couldn’t refuse a challenge like that.

And indeed, Pete smiled and looked at the paper again. Patrick could almost hear the gears in his head crush together.

Pete’s eyes flashed over the words on the paper and suddenly everything seemed to make sense in his head. His mind flashed back to the night they first met her.

They were playing a concert in Michigan when Pete got trouble breathing. He collapsed on the stage, bass still clamped in his hands, gasping for breath. He could still see Patrick and a boy from first aid hovering above him.

“We have to get him of the stage!” the boy yelled over the roar of the crowd.

“No!” Pete could still hear the word ring in his head. Seeing her run onto the stage with a syringe and a pair of scissors in her hand was the last thing he remembered before passing out. The others had to fill him in on the details later.

She was next to him in no time, scowling at the first aid boy. “Are you crazy? He has a collapsed lung! You can’t move him like that!”

Without wasting more words she pulled the plunger out of the syringe, cut his shirt open and pushed the syringe into his chest. It later turned out to be her very first time to do this, but Pete was still thankful nonetheless.

When Pete started breathing again, he got a sudden spasm. His arm hit the girl and she fell onto the scissors lying next to her. Not even noticing her bleeding wrist, she yelled at the boy next to her to call 911 and without another word, she got up and stepped to the microphone. “Boys and girls, I’m very sorry to tell you this, but I’m afraid that the rest of this concert has been cancelled due to a collapsed lung. No worries though, Mr. Wentz will be just fine,” she announced before walking off the stage to check if the ambulance was coming.

When Pete woke up again, he was in a hospital bed and she was sleeping in the chair next to the bed, arm wrapped in a bandage. Patrick was standing in the door frame staring at her. When he noticed that Pete was awake, he walked into the room and sat down on the side of his bed.

“Glad to see you are back!” He smiled at Pete.

“Glad to be back. Where are the others?” Pete asked with a weak smile.

“They decided they were in need of coffee. They left 45 minutes ago, their mission was to find a cafeteria,” Patrick answered.

“Typical,” Pete grinned. “So… What happened?”

“Your lung collapsed. The guy from first aid tried to move you and she stopped him. The doctors told me she saved your life,” Patrick answered while turning his gaze to the sleeping girl again.

“I’ll definitely have to thank her for that later!” Pete laughed. “What’s with the bandage around her wrist? I don’t remember her having that when she ran onto the stage.”

Patrick chuckled slightly before answering. “She pushed the syringe into your chest and when you started breathing again you had a spasm. You hit her and she fell onto the scissors. Cut her arm open just beside her coronary artery. She got lucky, but she still needed stitches, so she drove with you to the hospital in the ambulance. When we arrived, she was sitting here already, sleeping. She looked so adorable, so we decided not to wake her up.”

“We decided or you decided?” Pete teased.

Patrick didn’t answer, but the silence that filled the room as he blushed and looked down at his hands, was all the confirmation Pete needed.

Pete smiled at the memories as he read the lyrics again. He remembered how she was very sorry for what happened. He didn’t get why she was sorry until she explained. It turned out that she felt bad for cancelling the concert. A lot of people were disappointed that night and she thought it was all her fault. It wasn’t off course. The only thing Pete could blame her for was saving his life. And he didn’t think of that as a bad thing.

The guys all felt safe when she was around. So she continued to stick around. She accompanied them to all of their shows, stood at the side line just in case something bad might happen. Or that’s what Pete thought. But apparently she had become much more than a safeguard to Patrick.

“I knew you were going to fall for her that very first night at the hospital.” Pete was still focusing on the lyrics when he spoke. “Victoria is going to love this.”

Patrick smiled at Pete’s reaction, but he didn’t miss that his friend’s face was unusually serious. “You figured it out. Then why the depressed face?” he asked.

Pete finally looked up to face Patrick. “Well, because I know her. I’m pretty sure she’s going to be pissed at you for keeping something like this from her. You are important to her you know. Why write lyrics about it instead of telling her how you feel…” Pete’s voice drifted off as he heard the door open.

Victoria entered the room and walked towards Patrick. She sat down on his lap and gave him a small kiss on the lips. Then she turned to Pete. “Who says he didn’t already tell me?” she asked with a huge smile on her face.

Pete looked from Patrick to Victoria and back. “I thought you didn’t tell her yet.” he said, still confused. “But if you did, then what’s this about?”

Patrick grinned. “Well, the lyrics… You’ve read them, you know who they are about…” he spoke as the nervousness resurfaced. “I know you normally write the lyrics, but… What do you think?”

Pete looked at the paper in his hands once more. He looked at Patrick and noticed how his arm was securely around Victoria’s waist. He looked at Victoria and noticed how she was leaning into Patrick’s chest. They both looked so happy, so in love.

“It’s perfect!” Pete said with a smile. And they all knew he wasn’t just talking about the words in his hand.


	3. Give Me A Lesson On How To Steal A Heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The one where things are misunderstood

Victoria sighed as she fell down on the black leather couch in the living room. She stared at the TV without really noticing what was on. About five minutes into some random sitcom, she sighed again.

“Is something wrong, sweetie?” Ashlee asked, careful not to annoy Victoria even more.

“Except for the fact that I’m stuck in this house?” Victoria said without looking away from the screen.

The moment the words came out, Victoria regretted them. When she looked at Ashlee, Ashlee was staring at the coffee table and hurt was written all over her face. Victoria quickly apologized. “I’m sorry Ashlee, I didn’t mean to sound ungrateful. It’s not like I don’t like being here. It’s great to spend time with you and Bronx and get to know you better. And you have an amazing house with a kitchen I would probably give my soul for. It’s just…” She paused for a moment and let out a frustrated sigh. “It’s just that I don’t get why Ry drags me all the way to LA and then dumps me here, telling me I can’t go out. I thought he brought me here because… Well, never mind.”

Ashlee smiled. “I know you didn’t mean it that way. I get it must be frustrating for you. But I have no idea why Ryan is acting like this. He just asked us if you could stay here for a few days,” she said.

Victoria returned the smile while getting up from the couch. “It’s frustrating indeed. And I really need some fresh air, so I’m getting out,” she announced. “Just into the backyard. I’m sure Ry won’t blame you for letting me escape there,” she added quickly when noticing the look on Ashlee’s face.

She got up from the couch and made her way to the kitchen. She opened the door to the backyard to reveal the person all her frustration was aimed at. And no matter how frustrated she was, her heart still skipped a beat at the sight of Ryan.

Ryan was standing with his back facing the house, phone at his ear. He was so wrapped up in the conversation that he didn’t even notice the door open.

“You really don’t know where he is?” He asked the person on the other side of the phone. The answer made him let out a frustrated sigh.

“I know he’s not a child, Zack! I just need him right now,” he explained.

After listening to the other person’s response, he started talking rapidly. “Because I dragged Victoria all the way to LA and she has no idea why. And she is already pissed at me for making her stay at Pete’s without any good reason. Plus I have practically ignored her all day and I doubt it is going to get any better if I keep her waiting for long. So please, just let me know if you hear anything from Brendon. I…”

Ryan jumped as he heard the door behind him slam. He turned around just in time to see Victoria run away through the kitchen window.

“Shit!” he muttered. “Look Zack, I need to go. Just call me if you hear from Brendon! Bye!”

Without waiting for an answer, Ryan closed his phone. He took a deep breath and grabbed the handle of the kitchen door.

-x-

“Hmm, what’s that smell?” Pete asked as he walked into the kitchen. He looked in the pots that were on the fire with an approving look.

“It’s soup. The right one is cucumber and the left one it tomato-pumpkin,” Victoria said with a small smile. “I hope you don’t mind I’m using your kitchen. Cooking helps me vent when I’m mad,” she explained.

Pete picked up a spoon lying on the counter and tasted the tomato-pumpkin soup. “Well, then maybe Ryan should piss you off more often. This is delicious!” He laughed.

“Who says it was me who pissed her off?” Ryan’s voice came from the door that connected the kitchen to the living room.

Pete and Victoria both turned around to face Ryan, who was leaning against the door frame. His arms were crossed over his chest and his usual boyish smile was playing around his lips. Victoria glared at him.

“You’re asking that after what you told me last night? She’s not stupid, Ross! She was bound to find out quick,” Pete said. Victoria could hear the mix of teasing and mocking in his voice.

“You mean you knew what is going on?” Ashlee said as she appeared next to Ryan.

Her question made Pete blush. “Sorry honey, I promised not to tell,” he said as he grabbed her arm and pulled her into the living room.

Victoria listened to their whispering for a second before facing Ryan again. To her surprise he was standing next to her instead of in the door frame. The playful smirk was gone and he suddenly looked so much older.

“We need to talk,” he said.

His voice was barely above a whisper, but Victoria heard it nonetheless. She nodded and they both sat down at the kitchen table. Ryan was silent, but Victoria wasn’t going to be the first one to speak. She waited patiently while he was searching for the right words.

“I’m sorry,” he started. “I probably should have told you what was going on. I just didn’t want you to get upset.”

Victoria didn’t say anything, but gave him a look of disbelief.

“I know, I know, this wasn’t the best way to keep you from getting upset,” Ryan admitted. He absentmindedly grabbed Victoria’s hand and started tracing random patterns. “And I shouldn’t have left you here like this. I missed you and I do want to spend time with you. But I really wanted to talk to Brendon first, before he knew you were here.”

He looked up at Victoria’s face, as if he tried to measure her mood. “I talked to him about ten minutes ago. He’s coming here,” he quickly said.

Victoria couldn’t keep quiet any longer. She opened her mouth to let out a rude remark, but Ryan was quicker.

“Please! I get that you are mad at him. I get that it hurts to see him with Sarah. But I want things to be okay again, I want you to talk to him,” he rambled.

“Ryan, you don’t know what you are talking about. I’m…” Victoria started out. She got interrupted by the sound of the door bell ringing.

“I’ll get it!” Ashlee yelled. There were footsteps to the door and soon Victoria heard Ashlee greeting Brendon.

“That’s him.” Ryan said, stating the obvious. “Look, just talk to him, okay? Do it for me!” He pleaded, giving Victoria the puppy dog face.

“You’re not Brendon, the pout doesn’t work for you! But fine, I’ll talk to him!” Victoria grumbled, making that boyish smile reappear on Ryan’s face.

It was at that moment they realized both Ryan was still holding Victoria’s hand. Ryan quickly let go and got up to greet Brendon. Victoria missed his touch as soon as it was gone. Neither saw the slight blush on the other one’s cheeks.

Not much later Victoria was sitting on the couch in the living room. Pete and Ashlee had suddenly decided to take Bronx to visit his grandparents, fleeing from the tension that radiated from Victoria and Brendon. Ryan had greeted Brendon, had quickly pressed a kiss to Victoria’s cheek and had left as well. Victoria had her arms crossed over her chest and was staring at the blank TV screen. Brendon was sitting on the other side of the couch, nervously staring at his hands. Neither of them wanted to speak first.

After a few minutes, Brendon took a deep breath and started the conversation. “I’m sorry,” he spoke.

Victoria huffed. “And let me guess, you didn’t want me to get upset? You sound just like Ry,” she said.

“I’m sorry,” Brendon repeated his words. “About sounding just like Ryan… And about hurting your feelings.”

The serious tone in his voice made Victoria look at Brendon. Brendon was usually the goofy one, she wasn’t used to him being mature and taking responsibility.

Brendon’s mouth curled upwards a bit when he noticed Victoria was finally looking at him. He took a deep breath again and continued.

“I honestly didn’t want to hurt you, Vic. But I couldn’t help myself. It’s not like I can chose who I fall in love with. So yes, I’m sorry for hurting your feelings. But I’m not sorry for falling in love with Sarah. I really love her, Vic. And I’m not apologizing for that.”

Victoria’s eyes grew big in disbelief when she heard Brendon speak. “What?” she managed to choke out. “Is that what you think this is about? You think I am mad because you are dating Sarah? You think I have fallen in love with you?”

Brendon just stared at Victoria in silence. Her outburst had confused him.

Victoria took Brendon’s silence as a confirmation. Guys could be so oblivious sometimes! If she wasn’t still mad at Brendon, she probably would be laughing hysterically now. “Brendon, I do not feel that way about you! Sarah seems like a great girl and as long as she doesn’t hurt you, I don’t care.” She explained.

Brendon listened to her explanation, which caused him to be even more confused. “But Ryan also thought… And you wouldn’t talk to me…” he stuttered. “I don’t get it. If this is not about me dating Sarah, then what is it about?”

Victoria sighed. She honestly couldn’t believe a person could be this stupid.

“Brendon Urie, are you really that stupid? This has nothing to do with Sarah, but everything with the fact that you moved here. Without telling me! I got home from college for Christmas break and you were gone. No phone call, not even a note. That’s what I’m mad about, Brendon! You hurt me because I thought we were friends and you just left me!” she yelled.

Brendon finally realized why Victoria was mad at him. An ashamed blush found its way to his cheeks as he stared at his hands. “Off course,” he muttered, more to himself than to Victoria.

When Brendon looked up again, he didn’t need to say anything. Victoria could already read the sincere apology in his eyes. But Brendon spoke nonetheless.

“I’m sorry. I’m really sorry I hurt you! But please believe me when I tell you that it hurt me just as much to leave as I knew it would hurt you. Because it did. But I had to do this. I needed to get out of there and I knew… I knew I wouldn’t be able to leave if you were there, that I wouldn’t be able to leave my best friend behind. And I didn’t call because I wasn’t ready for it yet. If I would have spoken to you and you would have been mad at me, I probably would have taken the first plane back. I’m sorry, Vic. I didn’t want to hurt you, but I didn’t see another way,” Brendon rambled.

Victoria smiled, feeling foolish for doubting Brendon. They had been best friends since they were toddlers. They had survived Brendon joining the band and travelling the world. They had survived Victoria going to college. It was foolish to think that they wouldn’t survive Brendon moving.

“I should have known. And I guess deep down I did. It’s okay, Bren,” Victoria said while pulling Brendon close.

This was exactly why Brendon and Victoria were best friends for all those years. Because they knew that no matter how mad they were at each other, they would always make it through. Because they knew that they didn’t really need any words to make it better again. Because they knew that they made it through another rough patch and that everything was okay again.

“So, you do not feel that way about me…” Brendon whispered after a minute of silence.

The mood had lightened again and Victoria laughed as she let go of Brendon’s embrace. “You’re a great guy Bren. And an amazing best friend. But sometimes… Sometimes I feel like I am talking to a two-year-old. I love you as a friend, but you are no boyfriend material,” she explained teasingly.

“Right. Glad we figured that out.” Brendon was laughing as well. “But there’s one thing I don’t get. You were mad at me for leaving. But Ryan left as well. Why aren’t you mad at him?” he asked in a curious voice.

Victoria chuckled. Brendon had always been the curious one who wanted, needed to understand everything.

“Because he didn’t just left. He told me he was leaving. He called me when he got here and told me I should come over soon. And… He comforted me when you left,” Victoria said, talking as if Brendon was mentally retarded.

“And because you love him,” Brendon stated. Maybe he wasn’t so retarded after all.

“W-What?” Victoria managed to stutter out. A furious blush broke out on her cheeks and she cursed herself for not being able to control her emotions.

Brendon just laughed at her response. Or lack there of. “I can’t believe I didn’t figure it out earlier. It’s so obvious! He’s a great friend. I know you think he’s good looking. You can just sit somewhere going over his lyrics for hours. He’s definitely way more mature than I am. Yeah, that sounds like your kind of boyfriend material,” he said, bouncing up and down the couch like an excited child on the morning of his birthday.

Victoria didn’t know what to say. Denying it would be lying. Telling Brendon of all people he was right might be an even bigger mistake. She would never hear the end of this.

Lucky for her, the hallway door opened before she could make a decision. Victoria looked up and stared right into Ryan’s eyes. She quickly averted her gaze. As she stared at her shoes, the blush that had never really gone away grew stronger. She could have sworn she heard Brendon chuckle from aside her.

“And voila, my cue to leave walks through the door,” Brendon announced. Victoria could feel the couch move as he got up.

“You’re going already? You can hang around some more if you want,” Ryan asked in surprise as he walked in.

“No, thanks. I have… some stuff to do. I just remembered I promised to call Sarah,” Brendon answered.

The excuse was lame and made up at the spot, but Ryan didn’t seem to notice. Victoria could feel him stare at her. “But you talked, right? Victoria, you’re not mad anymore?” Ryan asked both of them. Victoria could feel the concern radiating from him.

Brendon chimed in immediately, proving again why he was such a great friend. “Yeah, she made me realize I acted like an ass and I apologized and she forgave me. We’re totally fine now,” he rambled.

“And we’re going to hang out tomorrow, right?” he asked, causing Victoria to look up in surprise.

“Uuhm... Yeah, sure,” she answered. The blush had subsided and she found herself able to speak again. “That sounds like a great idea, Bren.”

“Great! I’ll call you before I pick you up,” Brendon said. “And now I’m really going. So come here and give me a hug!”

Victoria smiled and got up from the couch. As she stepped towards Brendon, she noticed Ryan smile as well. It felt good to see him happy and she let out a content sigh before embracing Brendon.

Brendon pulled her as close as possible, as if he wanted to make up for the lost time. “Talk to him,” he whispered in Victoria’s ear, silent enough for only her to hear.

Before Victoria could react, Brendon stepped out of the embrace. He exchanged goodbyes with Ryan and gave Victoria a quick kiss on the cheek before walking out.

Victoria waited until she heard the door close before she looked at Ryan again. Ryan smiled at her as he sat down on the couch and patted the spot next to him. Victoria tried to smile at him as well while sitting down besides him.

“So, you’re really not mad at Brendon anymore?” Ryan asked. He was staring at her in a strange way, he almost looked nervous.

Victoria tilted her head while looking at him, something she always did when she tried to figure out what someone was thinking. But Ryan had always been good at masking his thoughts, there was nothing to read from his face.

So instead Victoria answered the question. “No Ry, I’m not mad anymore. We had a good talk and I get why he hurt me. And I forgave him for being a stupid asshole.” She laughed a bit before she made her next statement. “But did you really think I was into him? God Ry, I really thought you knew me better than that. Brendon is so not my type!” she said with a small giggle.

Ryan’s unreadable expression changed into a big smile. Relief seemed to be radiating from his features. “Good!” was all he said.

“What?” Victoria asked in confusion.

And suddenly his lips were touching hers. Victoria had no idea what was going on, but she eagerly kissed Ryan back. She could feel Ryan smile into the kiss. He gently pushed her backwards until she was lying on the couch and he was straddling her waist.

Ryan’s lips soon made their way from Victoria’s lips to her neck. The way he sucked on her skin was sure to leave a mark. Victoria unintentionally let out a small moan. Ryan pulled back, satisfied with her reaction. He chuckled as Victoria whimpered at the loss of contact.

“Good.” Ryan repeated his last word. “Because I want to be more than just a cure for a broken heart,” he explained himself properly.

Victoria smiled and her cheeks flushed at his little declaration. She felt happier than she ever had since arriving here.

“Ry, you are so much more than that. You have been as long as I can remember,” Victoria assured him. “You are the one that makes me sweat, who I think about it bed. You know it will always just be you;” she teased him. Her heart fluttered a bit at the sound of his laughter.

“I love you, Ry! Now please, kiss me again.”

“I love you too, Vic!” Ryan whispered. Then he happily complied to her wish and let their lips touch again.


	4. For The Record, Things Are Looking Better When I'm With You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The one where Gabe is insecure.

“So, how do you plan on proposing?” Vicky asked as she tore her gaze away from the diamond earrings that seemed to be calling her name and looked at Gabe. “Do you want to make a big public statement with lots of show? Are you taking her out to dinner?”

Gabe didn’t meet Vicky’s eyes as he answered. “I don’t know. I haven’t really thought about that yet,” he said with his eyes on the sparkling ring his fingers were playing with.

Vicky looked at her friend intently. She tried to measure his mood. He seemed absent and even a little scared.

“Are you scared?” she asked, voicing her concerns.

Gabe kept staring at the ring in his hand. “I don’t know how she will react,” he said. He was almost whispering, as if he was scared to voice his thoughts.

“Are you scared she’ll say no?” Vicky asked. A frown of disbelief covered her face.

“I just want her to be happy!” Gabe finally looked up to meet Vicky’s eyes. He waited for a moment, trying to find the right words. “I’ll do anything in my power to make her happy. But sometimes I wonder if that’s enough. She seems to be happy with me, but she has a hard time showing her emotions, so sometimes I just don’t know.”

Vicky’s expression of disbelief had changed in one of confusion.

“Are you kidding me, Gabe? Are we really both talking about Victoria, your bubbly, sparkling girlfriend… life of every party? She’s the most open person I’ve ever met,” Vicky stated.

Gabe shot a smile in Vicky’s direction. “That’s what everybody thinks,” he said. “That she’s always bubbly and happy. But she just doesn’t show when she’s upset. She’s good at pretending, but she would be just as happy in a corner of the room as she seems to be in the center of attention.”

Gabe stopped talking and looked at Vicky for a moment. “I never told you how we met, did I?” he asked.

“No, you didn’t.” Vicky answered. She smiled at the memory. “Victoria was just there one night. You guys looked content enough, so we never asked any questions.”

The memory made Gabe smile as well. He still vividly remembered how easily his friends had accepted Victoria.

The smile slid of his face again as he took a deep breath and started talking.

“I was at Angels and Kings with Ryland and William that night. It was around two when I decided to go home. I said goodbye to the guys, grabbed my jacket behind the bar and left through the back door. I was almost at the end of the alley when I heard someone screaming for help. And you know me, of course I turned around and ran in the direction of the noise.”

Vicky grinned. Only Gabe would be stupid enough to run into a dark alley all by himself.

“When I reached the source of the screaming, I saw Victoria being pushed against a wall. Her top was already ripped open and her attacker was trying to unbutton her jeans with one hand while he tried to silence her with the other. I yelled some profanities at him as I ran closer and pulled the guy away from her. I clearly surprised him and he panicked. He turned around and punched me in the face before running away. The impact of the punch made me fall over and the next moment her face was hovering above mine and she asked me if I was okay. I had just saved her from a rapist and yet she was the one asking me if I was okay.”

Gabe smiled at the memory.

“Even though my eye hurt like hell, I assured her I was fine and told her we needed to get out of there. I gave her my hoodie and took her to that coffee shop across the street of Angels and Kings, the one that always seems to be open. I asked her how she was feeling and she assured me she was fine and asked the waitress for some ice for my eye. She looked okay and I didn’t want to push it. We started talking and I realized how comfortable I was around her. When we said our goodbyes two hours later, we exchanged phone numbers. I called her the next day and a month later we started dating. She never brought up the events of that first night again. Four months later I figured we were both ready for the next step. I wanted it to be special, bought candles and everything. It was all going perfect, until I started unbuttoning her shirt. Suddenly she pushed me away and she curled up in a ball and started crying. She totally crashed and kept pushing me away. It took all of my strength to pull her close to me, trying to make her feel safe.”

Vicky stared at Gabe after he stopped talking. She was silent, mouth agape. “I… Wow… I don’t know what to say, I never knew,” she eventually managed to stutter out.

“Nobody did. She doesn’t want to talk about it,” Gabe said. “She hates to be vulnerable, so she pretends to be confident and strong. And that sometimes makes me wonder if she’s really happy with me. I wonder why she doesn’t just leave, she deserves so much better than a boyfriend who is on tour half of the time. She deserves better than me.” Gabe let out a heavy sigh as he stopped talking.

Despite the situation, despite the shock of what Gabe had just told her, Vicky still had to laugh. “Are you telling me that Mister Gabe ‘big mouth’ Saporta is being insecure?” she asked. She let out another small laugh.

Gabe looked at her with a small smile on his lips. “Yeah, I guess I so. Let’s call the newspapers!” he said in a sarcastic voice.

“Oh, I’m sorry about the laughing! I’m just not used to you acting like this, Gabe,” Vicky said while rubbing Gabe’s arm in a comforting way. “Besides, you have nothing to worry about. Victoria loves you! And you are the only one who knows about this. You’re the only one she dares to be vulnerable around, that must mean something, right? And I can list at least a dozen other reasons why you two are meant to be!”

Gabe suddenly looked at Vicky as if he just noticed her. He just stared at her for a moment. Then he jumped up from his chair and ran to the store owner. “This is the one! I’ll take it!” he said excited as he handed the owner the ring he had been holding.

The owner smiled and started packing the ring as Vicky approached Gabe with caution. “Gabe, are you alright?” she asked carefully. His sudden excitement surprised her.

Gabe gave her a toothy grin. “I’m perfect. You just gave me the perfect idea for my proposal!” he exclaimed.

He grabbed the package with the ring from the counter and pulled a credit card out of his wallet and tossed it at Vicky.

“You take care of things here, will you? I have a proposal to prepare!”

He quickly planted a kiss on Vicky’s cheek and stormed out of the store, leaving both Vicky and the owner behind open-mouthed.

-x-

When Victoria got home, she found Gabe watching TV. It surprised her to see Gossip Girl playing, but she didn’t ask any questions. By now she was used to Gabe’s unexplained habits.

She made her way to the sofa and crawled into his lap as she gave him a quick peck on the lips. She nuzzled her nose against Gabe’s collarbone as Gabe kissed the top of her head softly. His arms quickly wrapped around her waist.

“Hi, baby. You had a nice day at college?” Gabe asked her.

“It was okay. Until I got in my car and noticed my AC wasn’t working. I need to get that fixed as soon as possible,” Victoria answered.

“So that’s why you reek?” Gabe asked teasingly. It earned him a playful smack on the head.

“Shut up!” Victoria muttered before getting up.

“Where are you going?” Gabe asked in a disappointed voice. His arms fell in his lap as they lost contact with Victoria’s waist.

“I’m going to take a shower! Because unfortunately your rude comment was right and I do smell bad,” Victoria explained.

Gabe smiled at her reaction and grabbed her hand as he got up from the couch as well. “Mind if I join you?” he whispered in her ear in a husky voice.

He was talking in that Spanish accent that sent a pleasant shiver down Victoria’s spine, but she wasn’t going to give in that easily.

“Actually, I do,” she simply stated with a smile. She freed her hand from his and walked to their bedroom. She expected Gabe to follow her in and it surprised her when he didn’t. But again she asked no questions.

It wasn’t until she had the water running and walked back into the bedroom to grab some clean clothes that she noticed the small envelop on the dresser.

Just the sight of it made Victoria smile. Gabe always left her little messages everywhere. Post-its on the fridge, her lipstick on the bathroom mirror or just a simple notebook page on her pillow. Random sentences, lines of poetry, profound quotes or love notes. Sometimes – like on the small envelop – only a single heart, which Victoria loved the most of all. Because the light impression reminds her of Gabe. The sentiment is all there, not masked with complex words and patterning that she herself tends to hide behind. The line of that single symbol says so much.

Victoria smiled as she picked up the envelop. She could already imagine what the content would look like. She knew exactly how Gabe dotted his i’s and crossed his t’s. Because she kept every single message Gabe ever wrote her. All dated and in a box under their bed. And when Gabe’s away, she’ll read them everyday, just to keep him close.

A list was revealed when Victoria opened the envelop. With a curious frown on her face, she started reading.

_**One:** I can be myself when I'm with you. You love me even with all my faults. You laugh at my silly jokes, no matter how ridiculous they are, just to make me happy. And even when I’m grumpy, you still like me. After three years of dating, you still haven’t gotten tired of me._

_**Two:** You allow yourself to be vulnerable around me and you let me take care of you, even though you hate to the thought of you not being strong enough. I love your openness with me._

_**Three:** You are so beautiful. I love your eyes and your smile. I know you don’t think so, but you look incredibly sexy when you are making breakfast, just wearing one of my shirts and your hair a mess. You’re simply irresistible._

_**Four:** I love the way you kiss me and the softness of your lips against mine. When we kiss my stomach still goes crazy like that first time._

_**Five:** You moved all the way from California to New York just to be with me. Moving here was a big step and you did it anyway. You’ve given up everything you had to be with me._

_**Six:** Waking up next to you and realizing we’ve been hugging all night is the best feeling in the world. The way you look when you are sleeping always makes me smile._

_**Seven:** You have a terrific sense of humor and you’re never boring. I love the way you laugh, the way you make me laugh. A smile from you can chase away all the blues._

_**Eight:** Your idea of a big night out is just the two of us. And your idea of romance is dim light, soft music and just the two of us. I love the way we sometimes stay up all night, cuddle and just talk, then watch the sunrise together._

_**Nine:** You are my inspiration. You’re always on my mind; I just can’t do without you. I love the ways you support me when I’m off track._

_**Ten:** You let me go on tour without complaining, because you believe in me and you want to support me. Your undying faith is what keeps me going. And sometimes you call just because you’re thinking of me. I love the way your voice sounds over the phone. And even though we may be miles apart I still feel like you’re right there with me._

_**Eleven:** You are open to try new things and you have a passion for your hobbies and interests. I love your love for the things that interest me. Like when you learned Spanish, just so you could talk to my grandparents in Uruguay._

_**Twelve:** Even though I’m the one who sings for a living, you are the one singing at the top of your lungs in the shower. I love taking showers together. And your knowledge of and taste in music amazes me every day._

_**Thirteen:** You have seen me at my worst and you still love me. Shitty days are less so when you’re near and when you hold me tight, everything becomes alright. You know when I’m struggling and help me to trust myself. When I need to cry, you lend me a shoulder and a tissue._

_**Fourteen:** I love the way we finish each other’s sentences. You have the ability to speak without saying a single word. We can glance at each other across the room and know what the other is thinking._

_**Fifteen:** I love the way you treat my friends and how they all love you. You have the ability to make friends wherever we go. You are not scared to show your affection when we are in public._

_**Sixteen:** We can talk about everything or nothing; it’s always okay with you. And when you listen, I know you’re really listening and not just waiting for your turn to talk._

_**Seventeen:** You make me feel like I’ve never felt before. When we say I love you it doesn’t feel overused._

_**Eighteen:** I can see myself grow old with you. When I see you with Bronx, I know I want you to be the mother of my children someday._

_**Nineteen:** You will date this message and keep it in a box under our bed. You kept every single message I ever wrote you. You think I don’t know that you read them every day when I’m gone, but I do._

_**Twenty:** I love you. For who you are and for who I am when I’m around you. We’re a perfect match. Your love gives me the feeling that the best is still ahead._

_The list goes on, but these are the first twenty reasons why you should turn around now._

By the time Victoria finished reading the list, the curious frown was replaced by a slightly confused one and a small smile was playing around her lips. She turned around slowly.

The paper dropped to the floor and Victoria’s eyes grew big at the sight in front of her. Her mouth fell open in shock.

Gabe was sitting in front of her on one knee. He grabbed her left hand in both of his hands. “The list could go on for while longer. But I realized words can just not express how much you mean to me,” he spoke.

He let go of her hand and grabbed a black velvet box out of his pocket. Victoria’s breath hitched in her throat as he revealed a beautiful silver engagement ring with one diamond on the top.

“Ti amo, cariño! And that’s why I’m asking you: Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?” Gabe asked while looking up into Victoria’s eyes.

Victoria’s knees couldn’t take it anymore and she fell on the carpet as they buckled. Tears were streaming down her face.

Gabe was hurt by her reaction, but he pulled her close nonetheless. “I’m sorry, sweetie! I shouldn’t have. Forget I ever said anything. Please, please stop crying,” he whispered while rubbing her back soothingly.

Victoria laughed through her tears and pulled back a little bit to look at Gabe. “Gabe, shut up you idiot! Haven’t you ever heard of tears of joy?” she asked him.

Gabe’s eyes lit up at her words. “So does that mean …?”

Victoria laughed again. “Yes! Yes, of course I’ll marry you. I would love to!” she almost yelled.

Matching smiles covered their faces as Gabe slit the ring on Victoria’s finger. He swept the tears away from her cheeks before pulling her close for a sweet and gentle kiss.

“So, you like it?” Gabe asked while Victoria admired the ring on her finger.

“It’s perfect! Just like you!” Victoria whispered, before kissing Gabe again. This time the kiss wasn’t gentle or sweet, but full of heat and passion.

When they both pulled away for air, Gabe gave Victoria a mischievous look. “How about you go take that shower now, miss soon-to-be-Saporta?” He said in the same husky tone he used earlier.

Victoria laughed as she got up from the bedroom floor. She grabbed Gabe’s hand and pulled him up. She lead the way and they both disappeared in the bathroom, hoping they hadn’t run out of hot water by now.


	5. Don't Be So Scared To Take A Second For Reflection

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The one where Panic at the Disco takes a break.

“We decided to take a break from the band, take a break from music.”

The only sound that could be heard after Brendon’s announcement was the clicking of photocameras. The journalists didn’t know how to react to the unexpected news. There had been some rumors about arguments in the band, but nobody was expecting this.

After a moment or two, one man was brave enough to stand up and ask what everybody was wondering. “Why?” he asked.

None of the four boys spoke a word. Jon and Spencer looked at Ryan and Brendon. Ryan and Brendon looked at each other and knew that they were thinking the same.

_“Ryan, you are being ridiculous!”_

_“Well Brendon, at least I’m not being an egocentric attention whore!”_

_Fighting voices reached her ears as soon as Victoria opened the door of Lazy Noon. She sighed as she recognized the voices. If it would have been anybody else, she would have just been annoyed, but hearing these two argue made her sad. It confirmed her worries._

_Victoria made her way to the two boys in the right corner of the small cafe while all the customers kept staring at the two fighting. Neither of them seemed to notice how much attention they were attracting._

_“Can you two please take your argument outside?” she said in a calm voice. “Or maybe just stop arguing, that would be even better,” she muttered under her breath._

_Brendon and Ryan both looked up in surprise. They had been so wrapped up in their bickering that they didn’t see Victoria come their way._

_“Why do you care?” Ryan asked in an annoyed voice._

_Victoria stared at him in disbelief. Did he really not see the attention they were attracting with their argument? “I care because I work here and you are disturbing the other costumers,” she explained, trying her best to sound polite._

_Brendon rolled his eyes at her misunderstanding of the question. “That’s not what he meant,” he said in the same annoyed tone Ryan used before. “We’re not stupid, we know we probably annoy other people. He meant why do yóu care if we fight or not. You don’t even know us,” he explained before turning back to Ryan and opening his mouth._

_Victoria was surprised that they had even heard her little comment, but she snarled nonetheless before any more insults could come out of Brendon’s mouth. It caused the two boys to look up at her again._

_“You’re absolutely right. I don’t know you. And I honestly wish I could care less, but I can’t,” she said before placing her backpack on the table. She opened it, took out a copy of ‘Pretty.Odd.’ and smashed it down on the table._

_“This is what I listened to practically non-stop for over half a year. It played when I got back from chemotherapy to take away the pain. When my friends came over I would ask about their day and their plans, assuring them that I didn’t mind that they had fun while I was sick. But off course I did mind. This would play after they left, making the jealousy fade, making sure I could fall asleep without crying. It played when others around me crashed, because it helped me to be strong and it gave me hope,” Victoria spoke, trying hard to avoid tremble in her voice._

_Brendon and Ryan were both staring at her, mouth agape._

_“I honestly don’t really give a shit about your personal lives, but of course I heard the rumors, I have seen the pictures and read the interviews. And all this bickering affects your music! When is the last time you’ve felt like a real band? When is the last time you’ve enjoyed being on stage together? I really wish I could care less, but I can’t. Because it hurts to see your music… the one thing that got me through the darkest period of my life, to see that music lose its soul and passion. It hurts.”_

_Victoria closed her eyes to hold back the tears that were forming in the corners of her eyes. When she opened them again, Ryan and Brendon were still staring at her._

_“So please, stop arguing… or leave,” Victoria said._

_Before either of the boys could respond, Victoria grabbed the cd of the table and shoved it back into her backpack. She turned around without another word and disappeared into the small kitchen of the cafe._

_Brendon and Ryan stared at the door behind the counter for a minute. When Victoria walked back into the cafe, Ryan turned to face Brendon._

_The younger one was still staring, but his gaze had left the kitchen door. “She is beautiful in so many ways!” he whispered with his eyes fixated on Victoria._

_Ryan’s mouth fell open a little bit. “Did you even hear what she just said?” he asked in disbelief._

_Brendon let out a sigh as he finally faced Ryan. “Of course I heard what she said,” he said. He paused for a moment, thinking about his next words._

_“And the worst part is that she’s absolutely right. I don’t even remember the last time we’ve shared a microphone to sing. Or the last day we didn’t argue,” he said._

_Ryan knew exactly what Brendon meant. “I know. I miss the old days, when we didn’t care what people thought, just wanted to have fun and make music.”_

_“We used to rock that stage together. Now I feel like I don’t even know you anymore,” Brendon paused again, before asking a question he knew Ryan had no answer to. “How did we become strangers to each other, Ry?”_

_“I don’t know, Bren. But we really need to fix it,” Ryan paused as well, searching for the right words to phrase what he was thinking. “I think we need to…” He couldn’t finish the sentence he was trying to form._

_“I think we need to take a break,” Brendon voiced Ryan’s thoughts._

_The two boys looked at each other without saying anything. For a moment it was back like the old days, where they only needed one look or one word to understand each other. They both knew they wanted the same. That they needed the same._

_“We need to talk to Jon and Spencer,” Ryan said. His voice sounded almost casual, as if this was some random conversation. Almost…_

_Brendon didn’t respond. He simple grabbed his wallet and left some money on the table to pay for their coffees. He made sure to leave a big tip for the girl who had managed to make them face the painful truth._

_Both got up and walked out the cafe in silence, knowing that the next conversation with their band members wasn’t going to be a pleasant one._  
  
After a minute, Ryan broke the eye contact and looked at the journalists sitting in front of him. “Personal reasons. We don’t want to talk about it,” he said.

Another journalist stood up to ask a question, but Brendon stopped the man before he could open his mouth. “He said we don’t want to talk about it. That’s all we have to say. Thank you for coming,” he said before getting up and walking out of the room.

The others followed soon after. The sound of the room died away as Jon closed the door behind him. The four guys stared at each other awkwardly, not sure what to say. Spencer took the initiative and hugged Brendon. Soon the four boys were exchanging their goodbyes.

Ryan heard Spencer and Jon make plans for next Saturday as they made their way outside. He stepped in Brendon’s direction. Silence again, neither of them knowing what to do. Neither of them knowing what the future would bring.

Ryan was the one who spoke up first. “So I guess this is it, huh?” he asked.

“Yeah, I guess so. I’ll see you around?” Brendon asked, his voice a mixture of relief and sadness.

“I’m sure you will.” Ryan flashed him a small smile, his voice the same tone as Brendon’s.

They walked to theirs cars together, a heavy silence hanging between them. They reached Ryan’s Mercedes first. They both stopped, still not sure what to do or say.

This time it was Brendon taking the initiative. He pulled Ryan close. “Bye Ry,” he whispered.

Ryan copied Brendon’s movement. “Bye Bren,.” Ryan whispered back.

They released each other and both went their separate ways.

Ryan got into his car. He drove off with a feeling of relief, a feeling of freedom. On his way home, lyrics started to form in his head. He grabbed his guitar as soon as he got home and wrote the best song he had in a very long time.

Brendon walked to his car and got in. He drove off with a feeling of relief, a feeling of freedom. On his way to Lazy Noon, he started singing along to the radio. He sang along to a random song and sounded the most perfect he had in a very long time.

-x-

Six months later a chorus of laughter could be heard from the backyard of Brendon’s house. Brendon was sitting on the grass at Ryan’s feet, who was singing some unknown lyrics while playing his guitar. Jon was sitting next to Ryan on the old sofa that somehow found his way out into the backyard and laughed at some random joke Spencer, who was sitting in a lawn chair, just told.

“This will fit just fine on the new album. We’re ready to hit the studio now!” Jon said after Ryan finished playing.

Spencer nodded in agreement.

“I wrote it right after I got home from the press conference,” Ryan said, referring to the events that had happened not that long ago. His eyes caught Brendon’s and a slight blush found its way onto his cheeks.

The younger boy just smiled at him. “It’s perfect, Ryan!” Brendon assured his friend.

The comment made Ryan blush even more. He had never been one to accept compliments easily and this meant a lot to him, coming from Brendon.

Victoria smiled as she walked out of the house with a jug of ice tea and some glasses. It felt good to see the boys smile and have fun together again.

As she put the jug and the glasses down on the table standing in the corner of the garden, Brendon sneaked up behind her. He pulled her close as his arms found their way around her waist. “Thanks for saving us!” he whispered in her ear.

His soft breath against her ear made Victoria smile. After all this time, Brendon’s voice was still able to send chills down her spine.

“You’re welcome. It was absolutely worth it,” she whispered back.

Brendon chuckled in response and turned Victoria around in his arms. “I love you too,” he said before planting a soft kiss on her lips.


End file.
